About GuruPDF
GuruPDF is an MCP server for AI agents that process PDFs and convert between more than 100 file formats. It works with local file paths while performing conversions through GuruPDF's service.
Key features
- 01Convert between 100+ file formats
- 02Compress, merge, and split PDFs
- 03Rotate, protect, and watermark PDFs
- 04Process local files and URLs
- 05List conversions and check credits
Use cases
- 01Convert an invoice document to PDF
- 02Combine or compress PDF files
- 03Protect a PDF with a password
- 04Save a web page as a PDF
MCP support
Provides MCP clients with tools for file conversion and PDF operations, including `convert_file`, conversion listings, job status, and credit checks. Conversion processing runs on GuruPDF servers.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
npx -y gurupdf-mcpGURUPDF_API_KEYSecretYour GuruPDF API token (create one at https://gurupdf.com/profile)GURUPDF_API_URLAPI base URL; override only for self-hostingLocal servers need a runtime on your machine (e.g. Node.js 18+). Config file locations differ by client; see your client’s docs.
Tools
4Saved tool list · updated 2w ago
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| to | string | Yes | Target format (e.g. 'pdf', 'docx', 'png') OR a tool slug (e.g. 'compress-pdf', 'merge-pdf', 'protect-pdf'). |
| wait | boolean | No | Wait for the result (default true). If false, returns a job id to check with get_status. |
| input | any | Yes | Absolute path to a local file (or several paths for merge), or an https URL for url-to-pdf. |
| options | object | No | Tool-specific options, e.g. { password, page_range, rotation, watermark_text }. |
| output_dir | string | No | Folder to save the result in. Defaults to the input file's folder. |
Details
From the project READMEGuruPDF MCP — convert PDFs & 100+ file formats from your AI agent
A free Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lets Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and other AI agents convert, compress, merge, split and edit PDFs — and convert between 100+ file formats (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, PNG, HEIC, ebooks, and more), right on your own machine. Powered by GuruPDF.
Languages: English · Español · Français · Deutsch · 中文 · Русский · Українська · Polski · Nederlands · Türkçe · Čeština · Ελληνικά · العربية
Ask your assistant: "compress this PDF", "turn invoice.docx into a PDF", or "merge these three files" — and it converts the files right on your machine.
- 🗂️ 126 tools — PDF ⇄ Word/Excel/PowerPoint, images, ebooks, OCR, compress, merge, split, rotate, protect, watermark, and more.
- 💻 Works on your local files — reads and writes files on disk, no manual upload/download.
- 🆓 Free to start — every account gets daily credits. No credit card required.
Install
You need Node.js 18+ and a free GuruPDF API key:
- Sign up at gurupdf.com.
- Open Profile → API tokens and create a token.
- Add the server to your agent with that key (configs below). No install step —
npxfetches it on first run.
Claude Desktop
claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"gurupdf": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "gurupdf-mcp"],
"env": { "GURUPDF_API_KEY": "your_token_here" }
}
}
}
Cursor
~/.cursor/mcp.json (or .cursor/mcp.json in a project):
{
"mcpServers": {
"gurupdf": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "gurupdf-mcp"],
"env": { "GURUPDF_API_KEY": "your_token_here" }
}
}
}
VS Code
.vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"gurupdf": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "gurupdf-mcp"],
"env": { "GURUPDF_API_KEY": "your_token_here" }
}
}
}
Windsurf
~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"gurupdf": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "gurupdf-mcp"],
"env": { "GURUPDF_API_KEY": "your_token_here" }
}
}
}
Tools
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
convert_file | Convert/process a local file (or URL). Give it an input and a target format (pdf, png, docx…) or a tool slug (compress-pdf, merge-pdf…). Saves the result to disk. |
get_status | Check a conversion job by id and download the result when ready (for long jobs like video). |
list_conversions | List supported conversions/tools, optionally filtered by an input format. |
check_credits | Show remaining credits and how to get more. |
Examples
"Compress
~/Documents/report.pdf." →convert_file(input: "~/Documents/report.pdf", to: "compress-pdf")
"Convert
invoice.docxto PDF." →convert_file(input: "invoice.docx", to: "pdf")
"Merge
a.pdfandb.pdfinto one." →convert_file(input: ["a.pdf", "b.pdf"], to: "merge-pdf")
"Password-protect this PDF with
hunter2." →convert_file(input: "secret.pdf", to: "protect-pdf", options: { password: "hunter2" })
"Save this web page as a PDF: https://example.com" →
convert_file(input: "https://example.com", to: "url-to-pdf")
Free tier & credits
Each tool costs a few credits. Free accounts get daily credits (refreshed every day) and 2 conversions/minute, 10/day. When you run out, the assistant will tell you — you can wait for the daily refresh or top up / upgrade. Conversions run on GuruPDF's servers; files are deleted automatically within an hour.
Configuration
| Env var | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
GURUPDF_API_KEY | — | Required. Your API token from Profile → API tokens. |
GURUPDF_API_URL | https://gurupdf.com/api/v1 | Override only for self-hosted / staging. |
Links
- Glama: gurupdf-mcp on Glama
- Landing page: gurupdf.com/mcp
- Guide: Convert files in Claude & Cursor with the GuruPDF MCP
- Website: gurupdf.com
- API docs: gurupdf.com/api/docs
- Pricing: gurupdf.com/pricing
License
MIT
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.